Sunday, January 15, 2006

LONDON, United Kingdom, January 13, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – UK pastors are alarmed at a report issued by the EU’s Network of Independent Experts on Human Rights that says clergy and registrars should not have the right to refuse to ‘marry’ gay couples.

The report states that “right of access” should take precedence over rights of conscience for clergy or registrars.

Although the issue is currently theoretical, since gay ‘marriage’ has not been legalized in the UK, clergy are concerned that the EU’s report indicates a growing disregard for rights of conscience.

Although the recommendations purport to refer only to cases where there is no alternative registrar or clergyman available to perform the ceremony, in fact the authors of the report justify the recommendation by referring to a case in the Netherlands where a registrar was fired for refusing to perform a same-sex ceremony, despite the presence of other registrars willing to take over.